Learning on the Journey

Simple Summer Eating

After doing a lot of research, we recently decided to eat differently—focusing on healthy proteins, fruits, and veggies, giving sugar the boot (for real), and reducing grains, especially refined grains (moderate amounts of oatmeal and brown rice get to stay).

{Just to clarify, this is just how we are eating at home. I never want to be the family that is a pain to see socially because they are always on some special eating plan. When we are out, we eat whatever is put before us. But at home, we try to stick to our plan.}

I was positive that this would be SUCH a pain, but to my surprise, it has been really easy. Seriously, how simple is it to grill meat, steam veggies, make a huge salad, and finish with fruit? In learning to eat healthfully, it seems that baking, soaking grains to make them more digestible, and coming up with all kinds of recipes really is the most time consuming part of eating healthfully. On the flip side, dealing with carb cravings has been the hardest part. I think I would have just about killed for a chocolate chip cookie for a few days after we started.

Anyway, I’ve also been pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to shop, and how much I get for my money. At Sam’s I can get a LARGE quantity of fresh (and some frozen) fruits and veggies, plus some meat and eggs, for around $100, as compared to about 1/3 of a buggy full of packaged foods from Wal-mart.

I made a master menu (worked on it for several weeks), and a grocery list to go along with it. Fingers crossed—so far that part is going well, too.

I’m excited. This is a great start for us. Summer was a great time to change our eating, because produce is plentiful and cheaper. As the months progress, I hope to add other healthful foods to our diet (such as more homemade bone broths and fermented probiotic foods). But…Baby steps!

Now if my missing blender bottom would turn up, we’ll be set!

What about you? Any words of wisdom? Have you made any healthy changes lately?